Two For One
by smileforlove
Summary: Ron was too chicken to tell HErmione the truth...which turned out to be one of the worst mistakes he's made in his life. when Hermione turns up one day everything changes...
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

A Broken Heart 

Harry Potter, a handsome and attractive man of 23, stared aimlessly up at the ceiling of his apartment building.

"Harry? Harry? Bloody hell, Harry are you alive?" A voice of another man called through the door. Lazily, Harry picked himself up and out of his comfy couch and tottered over to the door, his work robes swaying care free in the air.

"Harry, oh thank God that you're alive!" Ron Weasley, another attractive man praised, his red messy hair stuck out in odd directions.

"Of course I'm alive, anyway, what do you want?" Harry muttered tottering back into his kitchen, carefully trying to fix his round glasses before he sipped some more of his strong dark coffee.

"Nothing, just wanted to know if you could give me a ride to work, my car broke down on the way, and you were the closest, and if you're about to ask why I didn't apparrate, the streets were too crowed." Mumbled Ron, taking a mug out of Harry's kitchen cabinet and also filling it with coffee.

"Why Harry, why aren't you wearing your-, oh, excuse me for a second." Ron said, taking his ringing mobile out of his pant pocket.

"Oh, hi Hermione, how are you. What…really? Oh well that's great! See you later then, bye!"

"What was that all about?" Harry asked, tossing a biscuit into his mouth.

"Well, Hermione just called…"

"Ya I know that." Harry muttered.

"Anyway, she said that she's coming back from America to visit, she said her work is moving over here for a bit, so she was wondering if she could stay with me or you. Can I have her Harry? You know I like her." Ron pleaded his eyes wide and innocent.

Harry smiled broadly out of amusement, and nodded, he knew that Ron had strong feelings for Hermione, but he was the only one that knew, after he caught Ron staring at her at the end of 7th year.

"I wonder if she's changed a bit at all, it has been at least 3 years or so right Harry?"

"I dunno', I mean, she never really sent pictures of anything just owls." Harry answered, shrugging the question off of his shoulders.

"Oh, BLOODY HELL! HARRY WE'VE GOT TO GO, WORK STARTS IN 5 MINUTES!" Ron hollered as he raised his watch up to Harry's face, then opening the door and ushering Harry out the door to the parking lot.

"Relax Ron, we can apparrate from my house, muggles don't live in here, remember?" Harry reminded him, chuckling slightly.

"Oh, right, I forgot." Ron's face turned the color of his flaming red hair.

"So, when she comes, what do you plan to say first? Going to ask her out or what?" Harry inquired, raising one of his eyebrows.

"Well, I might, except…" Ron was interrupted as he heard a loud **_POP_** come from the living room, he spun around and rushed to the room, he gasped, there was Draco Malfoy, his arms around Hermione's waist laughing along with her.

Ron stood flabbergasted at the scene and scrambled back out of the room, Hermione had clearly not seen him.

"Ron? What's going on? Is Hermione here?" Harry asked, wondering out of the kitchen.

Ron sat in a chair waiting for Harry to yell, he did, eventually.

"MALFOY? WHAT THE BLOODY HELL ARE YOU DOING HERE?" Ron heard Harry demand.

Ron decided to watch, so he walked back in, he gawked when he finally got a good look at Hermione's appearance, her chest had obviously grown and her bushy brown hair was now tamed and frizz-free, she had her hair curled into soft locks, her thick lashes, pink lips, slight blush, and her jeans and baggy sweatshirt with _America_ printed across it she looked quite stunning Ron had the urge to just lean forward and kiss her, hold her in his arms. He closed his eyes, thinking about what could happen at this very moment…

_"Hello their Ron how** is** my handsome best friend?" Hermione said a sly smile on her face, casually walking over in Ron's direction; she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him hard and lovingly, then stood back to examine him more closely._

_Ron's mind froze, he could only hear soft background of Harry and Draco fighting furiously, his gaze fixed on Hermione's sleek figure and brilliant smile._

"_Ron, Ron? Hello, anybody home?" Hermione giggled, massaging Ron's back playfully. He shook his head wildly, blood rushed up to his cheeks._

"_Ron, did you know that you look so hot when you're embarrassed?" Hermione whispered in his ear, pulling him close to her._

_Ron melted, like chocolate over a hot fire. He fell right into her._

_His eyelids slowly falling, falling, falling as she neared closer and closer toward him…_

"Ron, Ron?"

Ron's eyes burst open, to see Hermione, Harry, and Draco standing over him, with worried expressions, except Draco who struggled to keep his usual grimace.

"W-what happened?" Ron stumbled lifting himself up.

"You blacked out after I had said hello, it was like you were frozen in fear or something, here have some chocolate, I always carry some nowadays." Hermione said, after nobody had spoken up, she reached into her purse and handed him a packet or milk chocolate she had recently become a Healer and that was why she was in America for so long and carried so much chocolate in her pockets and purse.

"Um, thanks Mione'." Ron stumbled, taking the chocolate and breaking off a piece to chew in his mouth.

Hermione shrugged, smiling, she gave Draco a hug and stared into his eyes.

Ron tried desperately not to jump up and scream _"Why do you like him, its me who loves_ _you! I'll take care of you, and love you, and anything you want I'll get for you, just go out with me please!"_

Instead he just sat, nibbling on the chocolate, a disgusted look on his face. Harry didn't look so happy, but Hermione was one of his best friend's and if Hermione chose to be with Draco, he had to support her.

"So Hermione, you're with Draco now I guess?" Harry said, breaking the silence.

"Oh yes, I came here to you're place to tell you something!" Hermione said, her voice rising into an anxious and excited tone.

"What is it?" Ron asked, his heart pounding like crazy.

_Please no! Please don't say it!_ Ron begged in his mind.

"We're getting married!" Hermione screamed, giggling like mad, looking back at Draco, their noses colliding.

Ron started coughing and rushed out of the room to the bathroom. Hermione's smile disappeared when she saw.

"Um, don't worry, he sometimes gets a little bit sick when it comes down to candy." Harry said quickly, although knew that Ron must be heartbroken.

"Ok, alright." Hermione said disappointedly, and then talked about how Draco and she had met in a diner in America.

_I can't believe it, I blew it! Why didn't I just ask her to go out with me after 7th year? I'm such a coward!_

Ron thought to himself, a scowl on his face. He couldn't believe that this was happening to him, he wanted to kill himself.

Ron sat on the edge of the bathtub his head buried in his two hands, wishing that it could all be over. Suddenly, he heard a knock on the door,

"What!" He hollered furiously.

"Um, Ron? Are you alright?" It was Hermione.

Ron softened his voice.

"Oh, um, ya, just uh, thinking." Ron said quickly.

" But Harry said…oh well, never mind, could you come out?" Hermione asked hesitantly.

Ron thought about it, but he definitely didn't want to see her ever again, he was just too heartbroken.

"Uh, I don't really want to yet. Maybe later, I'm just sort of thinking some stuff out, maybe I can catch up with you later, ok?" Ron said wearily, he had a plan to tell her that he had the flu tomorrow so he would not be able to see her.

And for the first time after leaving Hogwarts, he felt a salty tear drip down his left cheek; he quickly wiped it away with the back of his hand, and tried to hold it all back.

"Oh, well, alright then. Maybe later…" Hermione replied, her voice getting softer and softer. Ron heard the last final sounds of her heeled shoes, and then when the _clickity-clack-clickity-clack_ were out of earshot he immediately just broke down, thinking about everything that had happened between Hermione and himself, now forgotten by that blasted blonde! He grabbed the closest thing near him and threw it at a wall; it shattered to pieces and dropped to the ground. This was Harry's apartment, "Cripes!" Ron shouted, fumbling to take his wand out.

"REPAIRO!" he shouted angrily, and the object was whole once again, he didn't bother to pick it up.

He heard another knock.

"WHAT?" he shouted, still furious.

"Ron, it's me, Harry, let me in, I have the key anyway."

Ron figured, he might as well, slightly open the door, and yanked Harry in by the sleeve.

"What do you want?" Ron said, locking the door again.

"Just to tell you that I called work, and they said we can have a few days off to settle in with Hermione and _Malfoy_." Harry responded calmly, as if everything that had just happened was nothing.

"Ya, ya, ya," Ron muttered, facing his back to Harry.

"And Ron, I know that Hermione and Draco being together is hard, but you've just to deal with it…"

Ron spun around to face him, his face red, and his eyes puffy.

"HARRY! DON'T YOU SEE! I LOVE HERMIONE, AND ITS NEVER GOING TO STOP; I HAVE EVER SINCE WE MET! CAN'T YOU JUST UNDERSTAND THAT HARRY?" Ron shrieked, infuriated.

Harry stood, still calm, but looked slightly tense.

"I know you love her, but Ron, they're getting married, and it's just too late…" Harry said quietly.

"HARRY! IT'S NOT TOO LATE! I CAN'T WATCH HER MESS UP HER LIFE BY MARRIEING THAT AWFUL SELFISH SNOB! I'M GOING TO WIN HER BACK! I PROMISE, SHE'S NOT GOING TO MARRY _MALFOY_ SHE'S GOING TO MARRY ME, AND NOBODY CAN STOP ME!" Ron shouted again, he stood there fuming for the next five minutes, neither of them spoke, then suddenly just wrenched open the bathroom entrance, grabbed his coat and left, slamming the apartment door behind him. He knew that Hermione and Draco had seen his rude exit, but he was just too mad to care.

He couldn't believe it, Harry, of all people, his best friend had just betrayed him like that, telling him to just move on with his life, Harry just didn't understand that Hermione was part of him, him as in Ron Weasley! Harry just didn't understand how it felt to see Hermione kissing another man and not even knowing that Ron loved that bookworm of a woman more then anything…anything in the world…


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Feelings for Another Can't Live without Each Other 

The next morning Ron found himself lying on the couch of his small house, three empty beer bottles rolling around on the ground. He sat up and rubbed his eyes.

"Another day as Ridiculed Ron…" he sighed drearily, he made his way through the beer bottles, chip bags and TV catalogs to the bathroom.

He used the toilet then took a brief shower, he stood in the tub, his eyes closed letting the water cascade over his face.

_Sigh, why does she want that Malfoy? When she could have me? _Ron asked himself selfishly while he scrubbed shampoo into his messy red hair.

_Wait, I shouldn't get so emotional about this like I'm some blubbering girl! Just find another woman, there are plenty around anyway. Just go ask one out and then I'll definitely forget about Herm-bookworm! _Ron decided, he didn't even want to use her real name; it went straight to his heart and whenever he thought of that bushy brunette his heart started to pound and his mind began to swirl.

After his shower he stuck a white towel around his waist and stumbled to reach his room, he went through his closet and settled on a blue shirt and jeans. He changed in a hurry and then towel dried his sopping hair before he grabbed his wallet and rushed out of the door struggling to put his sneakers on as he walked to his car.

Ron desperately wanted to talk to Harry, Harry might be acting like a selfish prat at the moment, but he was the only one who didn't walk away, or yell at him. He stuck his hand in his pocket and pulled out his mobile comfortably seating himself on the leather interior.

"Harry? Harry? Hello, Harry?" Ron yelled into the phone, worried that his friend might be dead. (Worry wart that Ron…)

"RON! Stop yelling, or else you're going to bust my eardrums out. What do you want?" Harry finally replied. Ron felt his ears go red.

"Sorry mate, but uh, could we talk today, I really need to talk to you, I'm going to kill myself seriously, I've got to talk to you." Ron said solemnly.

"Uh, sorry Ron, but since Hermione and Draco are staying at my place I can't really leave them while they're here, alone in my apartment, you never know what they might do on my couch…" Harry whispered.

Ron laughed lightly, but then returned to the conversation.

"Oh, um, they can come, but make sure they rush off somewhere, after all, Malfoy loves to shop doesn't he, so Herm-bookworm and _him_ will definitely find something to do at a muggle mall. What do you say Harry?" Ron pleaded.

"Fine mate, but if Hermione and Malfoy end up snogging on a cafeteria table, I'm going to kill you!" Harry hissed. Ron chuckled; Harry was acting like Hermione's guard and it was definitely amusing.

"Ya, ok, then, I'll meet you at the Central muggle mall in about 10 minutes." Ron ordered, and then switched off his mobile.

_Great, so now Herm-bookworm is going to be there, and along with that beautiful figure of hers…_Ron though dreamily, thinking of Herm-bookworm and her glistening smile.

"BLOODY HELL! Not again!" Ron roared, as he awoke to find himself sprawled across the chairs in his car. He snatched his wrist up to his face and hollered. "It's been at least 20 minutes, I'm late!"

He jabbed the key into the car, and drove as fast as he could to the mall in his sleek new sports car after his piece of junk failed upon him the day before. He saw the _couple_ and Harry standing by a table in the mall and quickly walked over to them.

"Hey Harry, hey…" Ron muttered, not saying Hermione's nor Draco's name."

"Hi Ron! Um, excuse our rude intrusion but we were about to check out that store down there, if you don't mind." Hermione said, indicating a cute little boutique near the end of the walkway. Ron shrugged and turned away from them to face Harry as they walked away, hand in hand. As soon as he was sure that they were far enough, he began his talking.

"Ya, so, um, well, remember when I was out cold that day when Herm-bookworm and Malfoy told us that they were um, getting hitched." Ron murmured to Harry, sitting down at one of the tables.

"Uh huh, it scared the heck out of me mate." Harry said back, taking out some muggle money.

"Ya, well, um, I had a dream while I was out cold. It was um, about, um, H-H-Hermione." Ron said, stumbling on saying her name finally.

"What happened?" Harry asked, standing up to get some giant pretzels from the stand.

"Well, um Hermione and I we sort of…"

"Kissed, made out, went out, which one?" Harry interrupted; he looked oddly calm and interested. Ron didn't like how casual Harry was being, but he couldn't yell at him, because too many of those blundering muggles were sitting around.

"Harry!" Ron hissed, glaring at him furiously. Harry backed away, and motioned for Ron to say whatever he wanted.

"We kissed, fine, ok, but I think I'm even more attracted to her, she's just so…pretty now!" Ron said, breathing hard and rugged.

"Oi, well Ron, maybe you should tell Hermione, because, what if she turns out to love you too, then at least she won't be getting married in a month." Harry said, staring into Ron's blue eyes.

"But…" Ron had nothing else to say, there was no excuse, and if he hid his feelings for Hermione anymore, he was sure that he'd end up concocting a death potion and commit suicide.

"Well, Harry, ok, fine, I'll do it, but if she doesn't return the feelings that I'm feeling, you will pay for the humiliation that it's going to cost me!" Ron said, taking a giant bite of the pretzel.

"Ick, what is this!' he asked, a look of disgust spread over his face, staring at it.

"A pretzel." Harry said, aiming his thumb towards the shop where they sold the salty concoction, stuffing the strange shaped bread into his expanded mouth.

"Honestly, muggle food…" Ron grumbled, tossing it into a nearby garbage can.

(Hermione)

"Hermione, love, look at this, what do you think?" Hermione heard Draco call to her, she walked to the end of the clothing store and looked at the blouse that Draco held carefully. She nodded wearily, and then looked out the window, she saw Harry eating a pretzel and Ron talking continuously and looking rather serious at one of the tables, she was dieing to know what they were discussing.

"Mione', what's bothering you?" Draco asked, walking by her side.

"Huh? Oh nothing, oh, this is nice." Hermione rushed out of her mouth as she grabbed the closest hanger near her.

"Uh, dear, are you sure, I don't think feathers are your thing." Draco chuckled.

Hermione looked down, her face flushed; she had un-knowingly picked up a chicken costume from the Halloween rack.

"Oh, um, oops. Oh well, doesn't look too shabby on you though darling. Hmmm?" Hermione giggled, putting it up to Draco's chest.

"Perhaps, but if I'm wearing feathers, you're going to wear fur. So come on, there is something I want you to try on in the dressing room." Draco said, giving Hermione one of his mischievous grins.

"Right…what do you want me to try on?" Hermione said, rolling her eyes.

"I want you to try on me." Draco whispered inside of Hermione's ears. She tingled, his breathe caressing the side of her face, she giggled, and pushed him away.

"Ok, but, if I get to try on you, you have to try on me!" she burst out in giggles, and rushed to a dressing room, Draco closely behind her.

"Hee hee!" Hermione laughed, as Draco tickled her to slow her down. He hugged her around the waist.

"Is this too tight?" he asked, "I can always make it a size 6." He chortled.

Hermione giggled and stared into his eyes, but Ron's face when she announced her engagement came back into her mind.

"Hermione? What's wrong?" Draco asked her, lightly playing with her hair.

"Uh, oh, um, its Ron…" Hermione began.

"Ron?" Draco said surprisingly, letting go of Hermione.

"Ya, oh um, do you mind if we get out of here? Its uh, sort of stuffy." She commented, flipping up the latch and quickly walking out of the store, giving a quick glance at Ron before retreating to the coffee shop beside the food court where Harry was.

"What's going on?" Draco asked seriously, sitting down in a chair.

"Uh, I don't want to say it…" Hermione said, sticking her head into her small hands. Groaning loudly.

"Just say it Hermione. I can help you." He said, putting his hand on Hermione's shoulders.

"Well…" she started, peeking out of her hands.

_Don't do it, he's definitely going to be ticked off if he find out that I'm having feelings for Ron, especially because were engaged! But I haven't seen Ron for so long, now I have this sudden urge to hold him. Like almost as if, my heart feels like he's my soul mate…but that can't be true, he's just a friend, just a good friend, nothing more, and nothing less! _Hermione decided, confirming this thought. But her heart pounded instantaneously when she only thought about that redhead.

"Hermione? Wait, let me guess, you are having feelings for Ron, am I right?" he asked quietly, taking his hand away from Hermione.

"No, I, um…" Hermione looked up startled to be found out.

"I can't believe this Hermione, bloody, I thought that we were sharing the same feelings and now you tell me this crap?" he said, standing up and out of his chair, knocking it over. Several muggles turned to stare at him.

"Draco…I…wait…" Hermione whispered, trying to stop him from finding her out completely.

"You know Hermione, I'm sick of this, and I'm sick of waiting, I'm so sick of dreading that this would happen, I'm leaving, **don't** call me, because I won't answer." He forced out his mouth coldly, storming through the halls and out the entrance door, a gust of wind blowing him back as he left.

Hermione sat at the table, sobbing terribly.

_I can't love Ron…I just can't. How do I know if he even has the same feelings for me too?_

She thought.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

_Ron_

"Oi, Harry, is that…Hermione!" Ron burst out suddenly, Harry jumped.

"O ya, is she…crying?" Harry inquired quizzically.

"Yup, and who knows why?" Ron remarked, he pushed aside his chair, and rushed towards the sobbing Hermione.

"H-Hermione?" Ron stumbled, touching Hermione's hand, which hung out over the edge of the table.

"G-go away- o, Ron." Hermione said as she peeked out from her folded arms. She flung her arms around him and hugged him senseless. Ron patted her back awkwardly; he was hardly treated like this by her.

"D-Draco and I…we're…"she began to sob hysterically; Ron kept on patting her back, not saying anything, just listening.

"W-We're calling the stupid w-wedding off!" Hermione burst out, heads turned to watch the crazy sobbing girl. Harry gave them a glare, and they turned around and suspiciously, they all stared at the plant that was planted quite close to where Hermione was.

"W-What? Why?" Ron asked his eyebrows furrowed, but inside was celebrating like crazy.

"I, I…don't love him." She replied softly, she then froze and let go of Ron.

"Y-You don't?" Ron gasped; his heart was pounding so badly he wondered if Hermione could feel it.

She shook her head slightly, and sat without movement.

"B-But, if you don't love him…who **do** you love?" Ron asked finally. Staring into her eyes, she turned away and said nothing.

"Who **do** you love?" Ron repeated, she got up and ran out of the glass doors at the sound of his words, watery tears trickled down her cheeks.

"Hermione!" Ron yelled, chasing after her, but he could feel a tight grip on his arm.

"Don't you dare follow her Weasley." He could recognize that voice, it was Malfoy, and he was angry.

"What do you want?" Ron snapped back angrily, tossing off the hand on his arm.

"You're not going to get Hermione while I'm alive." He responded coldly. Ron gave him a glare.

"Then I might just have to kill you!" Ron spat furiously, pushing his face up against Malfoy's.

"Hold up you two!" they heard somebody retort lividly. The enraged enemies turned to see Harry who had stood ground.

"Go jump off a cliff Potter!" Malfoy threatened fuming.

"I'd only do that if you were announced immortal Malfoy." Harry snapped back sarcastically.

"Obrigesco!" Harry shouted throwing out his wand, and all of the muggles froze in movement.

"Good, now that all the blasted muggles are out of the way…let me at him Harry!" Ron urged, tossing his full body weight at Draco. But before he could Harry stepped in the way between the two enemies, causing Ron and Harry to ram together in a collision.

"_Ron! Gerroff' me!" Harry howled, his ankle throbbing with Ron's body weight against it._


End file.
